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SALT LAKE CITY — Saturday marks Winter Solstice, which is when the northern hemisphere is tilted furthest from the sun. It isn’t just the official start of winter but it’s the shortest day of the year.
That also means it’s the longest night of the year, and for some, that means peak stargazing. Utahns are lucky enough to have more than a dozen designated dark sky places scattered across the state where the stars are bright enough to illuminate the night sky.
Unfortunately, a weather pattern moving into the state Saturday could make enjoying that night sky a bit trickier, according to National Weather Service data. However, for those OK with stargazing on a slightly shorter night, the forecast suggests Friday night will actually be the better option.
To compile this list, KSL.com took Utah’s list of dark sky places and looked at NWS’s hourly cloud forecast on each night from 7 p.m. through 4 a.m. Conditions listed are subject to change.
Here are five of the best dark sky spots in Utah to spend the longest night of the year stargazing in 2019:
Arches National Park
Location: North of Moab
Friday night cloud cover: 4-13%
Saturday night cloud cover: 36-77%
Dead Horse Point State Park
Location: Southwest of Moab
Friday night cloud cover: 3-14%
Saturday night cloud cover: 32-79%
Goblin Valley State Park
Location: North of Hanksville in Emery County
Friday night cloud cover: 18-25%
Saturday night cloud cover: 57-71%
Hovenweep National Monument
Location: Northwest of Montezuma Creek in San Juan County, near the Colorado border.
Friday night cloud cover: 1-10%
Saturday night cloud cover: 9-77%
Steinaker State Park
Location: Vernal
Friday night cloud cover: 16-31%
Saturday night cloud cover: 11-53%
Temperatures are also expected to be below freezing over both nights, so make sure you are dressed warmly.
